"I'm going to honor my promise. I'll take you to Epirus. I'll help close the Doors of Death. Then that's it. I'm leaving- forever."

Percy

"Cassidy!" Annabeth called. "You're going to be late for school."

"Geez, mom!" Cassidy called from upstairs. "I'm coming."

Cassidy was twelve. She already acted like a teenager though.

"Alex, sweetie," Annabeth said. "Wash your face."

"Sure, mommy," Alex said.

He was only six, but he was more like Annabeth.

"Everyone in the car!" Annabeth yelled. "Percy, don't forget to pick Cassidy up from basketball."

"I won't," I said. "Three-thirty, right?"

"Two-thirty," Annabeth corrected. "Love you. Bye."

I watched as everyone piled out the door.

I slumped down on the couch. I closed my eyes.

Someone banged at the door.

I checked the clock. I had to pick Cassidy up in an hour.

I walked over and opened the door.

Outside was a man I didn't recognize. Probably a salesman.

Then I noticed a huge gash in his leg.

"Percy," The man said. "Do you have any ambrosia?"

I figured I should get some ambrosia, then figure out how he knew me.

I ran upstairs.

"Ambrosia," I muttered. I found some in the medicine cabinet.

The man had moved onto the couch.

I handed him the ambrosia. He ate half of the square without a word.

"Now," I said, "who are you?"

"You really don't recognize me, Percy?" He asked. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I'll give you a hint."

He tossed me something. A small toy.

A Mythomagic game piece. Hades.

"Nico?" I asked.

"In the flesh," He smiled dryly.

"Where have you been?" I asked.

"Here, there, more than my fair share of time in China."

"Why didn't you come back?"

"Because of you, Perseus Jackson."

"What?"

"Every small, impressionable boy had his hero," Nico said. "But sometimes it goes beyond admiring."

"What do you… oh."

Nico had had a crush on me, hadn't he?

Nico nodded. "I'm sorry," He said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I ran." Nico said. "I went to England and France. China, Africa, Percy I've been everywhere. I was even in Washington for a few weeks."

I glanced at the time. "Oh, great. I have to go pick up Cassidy."

He frowned. "Who's Cassidy?"

"My daughter," I said. "I also have a son. Alex."

Nico smiled. "That's great, Percy. Go. I'll be here when you get back."

I smiled at him one last time, then ran to my car. I was going to be late.

I drove up to the school and checked my watch. Two-thirty five. Great.

I ran to the school gym where my daughter and her coach waited.

"What took you so long dad?" She asked. "I'm the last one here."

"Sorry," I said. "Let's go."

I walked as fast as I could out of the school.

I really hoped Nico was true to his word and still waiting at the house. The guy was always creepy and I don't think I ever trusted him fully, but he'd been gone for almost twenty years. I'd missed Nico. Even more had been Hazel. He said goodbye to her and never came back. Until now.

I pulled into my driveway and Cassidy jumped out before I even stopped the car.

"Dad," she called as soon as she walked in. "There's a man in the house."

I ran in after her.

"Nico," I said. "You stayed."

"I'm a man of my word, Jackson."

"Really?" I asked playfully. "Because I remember a time that ended up with me locked in a cell in Hades."

"Dad?" Cassidy asked.

"Oh, right," I said. "Cassidy this is Nico Di Angelo, Son of Hades. An old friend of mine and your mother's."

"Oh," She said. "I think mom told me about you once."

Nico smiled at her. A warmer smile than I had seen on him since he was ten years old. "A legacy of Poseidon and Athena, huh?"

"I'm more like Poseidon," Cassidy said instantly.

She didn't want people to assume she knew everything.

"Yeah," I said. "Alex got his mother's genes."

"Percy," He said. "Are you acting mature?"

"I am mature," I joked.

Nico rolled his eyes.

"Cassidy, you don't have to stay and talk with us, you can…"

She ran up the stairs before I could finish my sentence.

"Percy," Nico said very seriously. "I left because of a childish thought. But I think it was good for me. Besides, someone once told me it was okay to be a kid once and a while."

I smiled for a second. "You need to IM Hazel." I said. "You left your sister for twenty years, Nico."

He gave a half smile. "She was in good hands."

I heard a car door slam.

"Percy," Annabeth said through the door as she opened it. "Did you cook dinner?"

She pushed the door open and looked down at Nico confused.

"Who is this, Percy?"

"Twenty years really makes that much of a difference?"

"Nico," Annabeth's mouth dropped.

"Who's this daddy?" Alex came through the door.

"He's an old friend of mine and mommy's," I told Alex. "He's been traveling, so we haven't seen him in a long time."

I didn't feel the need to tell him more than that, but Alex seemed satisfied.

"Okay, daddy,"

"Hello, Annabeth," Nico said.

"Where were you?" She asked. "Hazel, well none of us actually, ever heard from you."

"Everywhere, Annabeth," He said. "China, Egypt, France, England, Russia. Everywhere."

"Why come back now?" She asked. "After twenty years?"

"Once you've been everywhere," He said, "the only place you want to be is home. I want to see Hazel again. Frank, too. How have they been? Are they married?"

"Yes, they're married," I said. "Actually, Hazel's going to have a baby soon."

"Oh, gods," He said.

"Let's get something out of the fridge," I said. "It sounds like we've got a lot to talk about."